broscoenRiad the Russian army is heading back to Russia poor Hizballah....

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broscoenRiad the Russian army is heading back to Russia poor Hizballah....

Poor Kanaan thought that the Russians were going to be in Syria forever to kill as much innocent people as possible...

Well get ready for the count down brosco......when we the LF went to Chouf the Baathi, the Israelis, the PLOs, the PSP and everyone else was out to kill us...now it is your turn and I hope your beloved Hizballah stays in Syria to fight for the last man.....

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday ordered the start of the withdrawal of Moscow's forces from Syria in a shock move, as fresh peace talks began in Geneva.But hopes for a breakthrough at the talks remained remote with both sides locked in a bitter dispute over the future of Syrian President Bashar Assad, on the eve of the fifth anniversary of the brutal conflict."The task that was set before our defense ministry and armed forces has as a whole been completed and so I order the defense ministry to from tomorrow start the withdrawal of the main part of our military contingents from the Syrian Arab Republic," Putin told Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in televised comments.The Kremlin announced that Putin had called Assad to inform Moscow's long-standing ally of the shock move that appears to end the main part of its controversial bombing campaign that began in September. "The leaders noted that the actions of the Russian airforce allowed to radically change the situation in the fight against terrorism, to disorganize the fighters' infrastructure and inflict significant damage on them," the Kremlin said in a statement. "Taking that into account, the President of Russia stated that the main tasks set before the armed forces of Russia in Syria had been completed. It was agreed to carry out the withdrawal of the main part of Russia's airforce contingent," the statement said. - 'Courage and heroism' -The two leaders, however, also agreed that Moscow would maintain an airforce facility in Syria to help monitor the progress of a ceasefire in the war-torn country. "Assad noted the professionalism, courage and heroism of the officers of the Russian armed forces that took part in the military operations and expressed deep appreciation to Russia," the Kremlin statement said."The Syrian leader underlined his readiness for the quickest establishment of the political process in Syria," the statement said. Russia's decision to begin withdrawing from Syria will help Moscow intensify efforts to reach a political settlement, the Russian ambassador to the United Nations said."Our diplomacy has received marching orders to intensify our efforts to achieve a political settlement in Syria," Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters ahead of a U.N. Security Council meeting on Syria.Russia began its airstrikes in support of Assad's forces in September, a move that helped shore up the Syrian regime's crumbling forces and allow them to go on the offensive.Russia sent over 50 warplanes to carry out thousands of strikes across the Syria arguing that it was targeting "terrorist" groups including Islamic State jihadists.The intervention was slammed by the West and its regional allies, who insisted that Moscow was mainly bombing more moderate rebels fighting Assad.A temporary ceasefire between Assad's forces and opponents in the country introduced on February 27 has largely held, but it does not cover the IS and Nusra front groups. Putin said he hoped the withdrawal decision would provide a "good signal" for all the warring sides in the conflict. "I hope this will significantly increase the level of trust of all the participants in the political process in Syria," Putin said at the televised meeting that was also attended by foreign minister Sergei Lavrov. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists that Moscow's Hmeimim air base in Syria and its Tartus naval facility would remain functioning and that some military contingents would stay behind.He did not however give any details on how many soldiers would stay in Syria and what the timeframe for withdrawal was.The White House offered a cautious initial response to Putin's surprise announcement."We will have to see exactly what Russia's intentions are," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said."It's hard for me to assess what sorts of implications this will have on the talks, what sort of change it will bring about to that dynamic."- 'A positive decision' -The U.N.-hosted negotiations in Geneva are the latest effort to end violence that has killed more than 270,000 people and displaced millions.Syria's main opposition hailed the Kremlin's withdrawal announcement, but said it would wait and see what impact the order would have on the ground."We must verify the nature of this decision and its meaning," Salem al-Meslet, spokesman for the opposition High Negotiations Committee told reporters in Geneva."If there is a decision to withdraw the (Russian) forces, it is a positive decision, and we will see it on the ground (but) does this decision mean removing forces or just reducing the number of aircraft in Syria, (that) we will have to check," he said.Hopes for a breakthrough at the talks, however, appeared remote with the sides locked in a bitter dispute over Assad's future.As the Syrian delegations arrived in Geneva over the weekend, Damascus warned that any discussion about removing Assad would be a "red line."Top Western diplomats immediately condemned the comment from Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem as divisive and provocative. After his first official meeting with the regime on Monday, U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura told reporters that "strong statements (and) rhetoric" were part of every tough negotiation and that his initial discussions with government representative Bashar al-Jaafari were "useful."

"No need to say more...I, for one, do not care one iota about being politically correct, I do call it as I see it without no fear, and those who get their feeling hurt by such truth I say to them:" GO CRY ME A RIVER" "-Beirutilibnani

The Right To Do Something Does Not Mean It Is Right. (William Safire)

Every piece of this is man's bullshit. They call this war a cloud over the land. But they made the weather and then they stand in the rain and say 'Shit, it's raining!'

Russian President Vladimir Putin waves to the Federal Assembly after a signing ceremony at the Kremlin in Moscow, March 18, 2014. (photo by REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov)Putin to Assad: Do svidaniya

WASHINGTON — In a surprise move that he said he hoped would bolster Syria peace talks, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he would start to withdraw most Russian military forces from Syria starting March 15. The decision to partly withdraw from Syria, which Putin said he discussed during a phone call with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad March 14, is likely to put pressure on the Assad regime to negotiate more seriously at UN-hosted peace talks with the opposition, which resumed in Geneva on March 14. The decision follows remarks from Syria’s foreign minister over the weekend that any talk of Assad’s future was a “red line” at the Geneva talks.“I hope today’s decision will be a good signal for all conflicting parties” at the Geneva talks, Putin said following a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on March 14, Russian news agency Itar-Tass reported. “I hope it will sizably increase trust of all participants in the process.”Putin and Assad, in a phone call initiated by the Russian leader March 14, “discussed the implementation of the joint statement by Russia and the United States … on [the] cessation of hostilities in Syria,” according to a Kremlin readout of the call. “They share the view that the cease-fire has made possible a dramatic reduction in the bloodshed in the country. … It has also made it possible to put in place conditions for starting a peace process under UN aegis.”“Mr. Putin said that Russia’s armed forces have fulfilled their main mission in Syria and a timetable for the withdrawal of the aerospace forces’ main air grouping has been agreed,” the readout continued. “Russia will maintain an aviation support center in Syria in order to monitor compliance with the cease-fire.”Putin’s announcement on a partial Syria withdrawal seemed to take US officials by surprise.“We have seen reports that President Putin has announced a planned withdrawal of Russian forces from Syria,” a senior US administration official told Al-Monitor March 14. “We expect to learn more about this in the coming hours.”Putin and Obama subsequently discussed the matter in a phone call Monday, the White House said.“They discussed President Putin’s announcement today of a partial withdrawal of Russian forces from Syria and next steps required to fully implement the cessation of hostilities with the goal of advancing the political negotiations on resolution of the conflict,” a White House readout of the call said. “President Obama welcomed the much-needed reduction in violence since the beginning of the cessation, but stressed that continuing offensive actions by Syrian regime forces risk undermining both the Cessation of Hostilities and the UN-led political process.”Samuel Charap, a Russia expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said Putin had largely achieved his objectives.“His objective was to force the US and its allies to the bargaining table on his terms,” Charap told Al-Monitor March 14. “He achieved that objective. Beyond that, an extended, large military presence in Syria doesn't really do much for him. It's more of a liability than an asset.”But Paul Saunders, a Russia expert at the Center for the National Interest and a contributor to Al-Monitor, said it was also notable that Putin was saying mission accomplished when his original declared rationale for intervening in Syria was to defeat the Islamic State (IS).“It is striking, and many in … and out of the region will take note of the fact that President Putin said that withdrawal is going to take place because the Russian forces have achieved their objective,” Saunders told Al-Monitor March 14. “Because when they went in, it was framed very much in terms of strikes on [IS]. That mission is not really completed.”“What has actually been accomplished is this rather tentative temporary cessation of hostilities leading to some kind of successful peace process between Assad and the forces of the opposition,” Saunders said.Putin “is trying to send a message to both sides,” Saunders said. “Certainly for the Assad regime side, it makes very clear to them that they better actually negotiate seriously.”But the announced partial withdrawal “does not mean Russia is just walking away,” Saunders added. “The pace of the withdrawal … also provides leverage. It can be slowed, it can be accelerated. Moscow has the continuing leverage that it needs.”A former Russian diplomat said Putin’s announced decision to partly withdraw from Syria is probably due to a combination of reasons.“First of all about some deal with US (maybe, on a range of issues regarding transition and Geneva talks) and possibly with the [Kingdom of Saudi Arabia],” the former Russian diplomat, speaking not for attribution, told Al-Monitor. “Then about a master stroke on the first day of ‘resumed’ negotiations…in terms of showing good faith and ‘inviting’ others to reciprocate in their ways. If others take it for weakness and start massive attack on Assad, birds can return. Withdrawal is partial, and infrastructure remains.”The Syrian opposition, for its part, said it welcomed Putin’s announcement and that serious withdrawal would put pressure on the regime and give peace talks a positive impetus.Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem, speaking at a televised news conference in Damascus March 12, vowed the Assad delegation to Geneva would not discuss future Syrian presidential elections in Geneva.“We will not talk to anyone who talks about the position of the presidency,” Moallem said. “Bashar [al-Assad] is a red line; the property of the Syrian people. I advise them that if this is [the opposition’s] thinking, they shouldn’t come to the talks. They must abandon these delusions.”But UN envoy Staffan de Mistura said tough rhetoric was not unexpected heading into such sensitive negotiations and what mattered more is what is happening inside the rooms.“There is always, in any negotiations, especially as delicate and important and crucial like this one, a lot of strong statements,” de Mistura told reporters March 14, following a meeting with the Syrian government delegation, which is led by Syria’s UN Ambassador Bashar Jaafari. “We should be talking between us about what will be the outcomes of the discussions and the negotiations — that will be the judgement.”The agenda at this round of talks was focused on governance, a new Syrian constitution and new Syrian elections, as mandated by UN Security Council Resolution 2254, he said.“I don’t know whether anyone else has a plan B here. I am only aware of a plan A, which is giving a maximum of chances and the maximum of pressure [by] the international community to ensure that the Intra-Syrian Talks … is given the maximum of opportunities,” de Mistura said.The current round of talks is expected to last until March 24, then break for a week or so and then resume, he said.

"No need to say more...I, for one, do not care one iota about being politically correct, I do call it as I see it without no fear, and those who get their feeling hurt by such truth I say to them:" GO CRY ME A RIVER" "-Beirutilibnani

The Right To Do Something Does Not Mean It Is Right. (William Safire)

Every piece of this is man's bullshit. They call this war a cloud over the land. But they made the weather and then they stand in the rain and say 'Shit, it's raining!'